Last updated: August 20, 2026
Blackstone built its name on backyard flat tops, and then car campers started loading them into trunks. The problem is that the model that dominates a patio is not the model that survives a weekend at a campground. Size, weight, whether the legs fold and whether there is a hood all change once the griddle has to ride in a car and cook on a picnic table.
This guide sorts the Blackstone lineup by how well each format actually travels, which sizes suit which group, and what to check on the listing before you order. If you are still deciding whether a flat top belongs in your kit at all, start with the general camping griddle guide and come back once you know you want one.
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Quick Answer
Which Blackstone size is right for camping?
- The 17 inch tabletop is the one most car campers should start with: single burner, one hand carry, fits a picnic table.
- The 22 inch tabletop steps up to two burners, which is what gives you a hot zone and a warm zone.
- Hood versions cost space in the trunk but let you melt, hold and cook covered in wind.
- Anything on full legs or a cart is a patio unit that happens to fold, not a travel first griddle.
Bottom line: 17 inch for couples and tight trunks, 22 inch for families who want two heat zones, and a hood only if you cook in wind or cover food regularly.
How Blackstone Sizes Translate to Camping
Blackstone names its griddles by the width of the cooking surface, and that number tells you almost everything about how it travels. Seventeen inches is a single burner unit one person can carry. Twenty two inches runs two burners and needs both hands. Twenty eight inches and up is a legged unit built to stay in one place.
Portion capacity follows the same line. Blackstone lists the 22 inch tabletop with a hood at 361 square inches of cooking surface, which is enough to run bacon and pancakes at the same time rather than in sequence. The 17 inch plate handles breakfast for two or three comfortably and starts shuffling beyond that.
The Number That Is Not on the Box
Nobody prints the carry distance from the parking pad to the site, and that is what decides which griddle you actually use. A walk in site with a fifty yard carry rewards the smaller plate every single trip. A drive up site next to the picnic table forgives the bigger one.
The 17 Inch Tabletop
The 17 inch tabletop is the Blackstone that most car campers should own. It runs off a single burner and the small propane cylinders most camp kitchens already carry, it sits on a standard picnic table without pushing the stove off the end, and it loads with one hand. Blackstone lists the 1814 at roughly 17.5 inches long by 18 inches wide.
The tradeoff is one heat zone. With a single burner under the plate, you can move food toward the cooler outer edges but you cannot set a genuinely different temperature at each end. For two people cooking one thing at a time that is rarely a problem.
Who It Suits
Couples, solo campers, anyone with a small trunk and anyone camping at walk in sites. It is also the sensible first flat top if you are not yet sure how often you will use one.
The 22 Inch Tabletop
The 22 inch tabletop is where a Blackstone starts behaving like a camp kitchen rather than a large pan. Two independently controlled burners let you hold pancakes at low heat on one end while bacon crisps at the other, which is the single feature families notice most.
It is also noticeably heavier and wider, and on a crowded picnic table it will claim most of one side. If you already run a two burner stove on the same table, plan where each one goes before you order.
With or Without a Hood
Blackstone sells the 22 inch both open and with a hood. A hood is useful for melting cheese, holding food warm and cooking in a breeze, and it protects the plate in the trunk. It also adds height and bulk, and a hooded unit cannot be stacked flat under other gear. Choose it if you cook in exposed sites; skip it if trunk space is the binding constraint.
Carts, Legs and the On The Go Line
Blackstone’s On The Go range puts a 22 inch griddle on collapsible legs with wheels, and the full size 28 and 36 inch units sit on fixed carts. All of them fold to some degree, but folding is not the same as traveling. These are patio griddles with a transport option, not units designed around a trunk.
They make sense for a specific kind of camper: group cooks, camp hosts, people running the food for a whole loop, and anyone driving a pickup where an extra bulky item costs nothing. For a sedan trunk that also has to hold a cooler, a tent and four sleeping bags, they are the wrong shape.
The Rangetop Combo
Blackstone also builds combo units that pair a griddle section with an open burner, which lets you boil water or run a pot alongside the flat top. That combination replaces a separate camp stove for some groups, which is worth counting when you compare bulk.
Blackstone Camping Models Compared
The lineup sorts cleanly by burners, portability and who it suits. This table covers the formats car campers actually consider.
| Model format | Burners | Portability | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17 inch tabletop | One | One hand carry, fits any trunk | Couples, walk in sites |
| 22 inch tabletop | Two | Two hands, still table sized | Families wanting two heat zones |
| 22 inch with hood | Two | Bulkier, protects the plate | Windy or exposed sites |
| On The Go with legs | Two | Folds but stays bulky | Group cooking, pickup beds |
What to Check on the Listing Before You Order
Blackstone runs several model numbers at the same nominal size, and they are not interchangeable. Check the model number against the cooking surface dimensions, whether a hood is included, whether the regulator is sized for the small cylinders you carry, and whether the plate ships pre seasoned or bare.
Accessories are the other trap. Hard covers, carry bags and hood assemblies are sold per model number, so a cover for one 22 inch unit may not fit another. Buy the cover at the same time as the griddle and match the number rather than the size.
Seasoning Before the First Trip
Season the plate at home, not at the campground. Building the first layers takes controlled heat and more time than a camp morning allows, and starting a trip with a bare plate means eggs welded to steel on day one. After the first proper seasoning, camp maintenance is a scrape, a wipe and a thin film of oil while the plate is still warm.
Using a Blackstone Safely at a Site
Blackstone griddles are outdoor appliances. Blackstone states in its manuals that these units are for outdoor use only and must never be operated inside a tent, an awning, a screen room, a vehicle, a garage or any enclosed space, because burning propane produces carbon monoxide.
Follow the clearance distances published in the manual for your specific model instead of estimating, keep the griddle away from tent fabric and low branches, and inspect the hose and regulator connection each trip. Carrying a battery powered carbon monoxide alarm for the sleeping area is a sensible habit for any camp that cooks with gas.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Blackstone is best for camping? The 17 inch tabletop for most car campers, and the 22 inch tabletop if you are feeding a family and want two independently controlled heat zones.
Can a Blackstone run off the small green propane cylinders? The tabletop models are built around them, and larger units usually need an adapter hose to a refillable tank. Check the regulator listed for your specific model number.
Is the hood version worth it for camping? If you cook in wind, melt cheese or need to hold food warm, yes. If trunk space is what limits your kit, the open version packs flatter.
Does a Blackstone come pre seasoned? Some model numbers ship with a factory seasoning layer and some do not, and even the pre seasoned ones benefit from additional layers at home before the first trip.
Can I use a Blackstone on a wooden picnic table? Only with the clearance the manual specifies, and ideally on a heat resistant mat. Many campgrounds also have their own rules about appliances on their tables.
How do I keep the plate from rusting between trips? Wipe a thin film of oil on the cool plate before storage, keep it dry, and store it off a damp concrete floor. A fitted cover or bag keeps condensation away.
The Bottom Line
Blackstone makes an excellent camping griddle and several excellent patio griddles, and the difference between them is mostly the legs. Start at 17 inches if you camp light or walk to your site, step to 22 inches if you want two heat zones for a family, and treat the carts as group cooking hardware. For the wider comparison, our camping griddle guide covers plate thickness and cleanup, and the Camp Chef versus Coleman comparison shows where the money goes on the stove side.